Department of Health and Social Care

Dementia: Diagnosis

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to (a) improve published national primary care data on young onset dementia and (b) ensure that young onset dementia is included in the national dementia diagnosis target rate.

Helen Whately: Young onset dementia (YOD), defined as dementia diagnosed under the age of 65.The dementia diagnosis rate is not calculated for patients aged under 65 years old. This is because the numbers of patients known to have dementia in the sample population age groups comprising those aged between zero and 64 years old are not large enough for reliable estimates to be made.The dementia diagnosis rate for patients aged 65 years old and over is calculated and published monthly via the Primary Care Dementia Data publication, which is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/primary-care-dementia-data(opens in a new tab)This publication does include a monthly count of the number of patients aged 65 years old and under who do have a dementia diagnosis on their patient record; this is expressed as a raw count and as a percentage of registered patients aged between zero and 64 years old.

Community Diagnostic Centres: Osteoporosis

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many community diagnostic centres are providing bone density scans.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether (a) his Department and (b) the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has received data from Astra Zeneca on the potential serious adverse effects of its covid-19 vaccine for a small number of recipients.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Hospitals: Concrete

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) estates and (b) facilities related incidents related to (i) non-critical and (ii) critical infrastructure risk occurred in (A) all hospitals and (B) hospitals containing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in the last 12 months.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Pharmacy: Prescriptions

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the number and proportion of prescriptions that were written by pharmacists in each of the last five years.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mortality Rates

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason there was an increase in death rates among 20-44 year olds in 2023 from 2019.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

PA Consulting Group: Contracts

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the contract awarded by her Department to PA Consulting Services Limited on 8 January 2024 under procurement reference CF-2104, what the estimated cost to the public purse will be of the completed work.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Patient Choice Schemes

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 8 February 2024 to Question 12829 on Patient Choice Schemes, how many patients were offered choice at the point of referral in each of the last 12 months.

Andrew Stephenson: The NHS Constitution allows patients to be treated by any provider who holds a contract for the provision of National Health Services. This is a legal right, although there are certain circumstances in which a choice may not be possible. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-nhs-choice-frameworkLast year, the Government set out how it will make it easier for patients to exercise their choice by improving the NHS App, increasing choice for patients already on waiting lists, and raising awareness of patients’ right to choose.At the point of referral, for example at a general practice appointment, patients will be actively offered a list of providers which are clinically appropriate for their condition. This will be a minimum of five providers where possible. Patients will also be informed of their right to choose, and encouraged to raise this at the time of the referral.

Prostate Cancer: Screening

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the number of scans for suspected prostate cancer performed by the NHS in each of the last five years.

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the number of (a) MRI and (b) CT scans for suspected prostate cancer performed by the NHS in each of the last five years.

Andrew Stephenson: While some data on scanning of the prostate is available from the Diagnostic Imaging Dataset, it does not distinguish between scans for non-cancer indications, scans for suspected cancer, namely cancer diagnosis, and scans to inform staging and treatment planning for cancer which is already diagnosed.Screening for the most common cancer in men, prostate cancer, is complex but we are backing groundbreaking trials to improve diagnostic processes and save thousands more lives. In 2021, 43,378 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer, a 9% decrease compared to 2019. The recently announced TRANSFORM trial, which will be led by Prostate Cancer UK and supported by £16 million of Government funding, aims to find the best way to screen for prostate cancer. The trial will cover the whole of the United Kingdom, although final decisions on specific locations are yet to be taken. The UK National Screening Committee will be reviewing the evidence that is published by this study, which will help to inform any future recommendation on creating a national screening programme for prostate cancer.To support faster diagnosis, NHS England is streamlining cancer pathways and in October 2022 introduced the best practice timed pathway for prostate cancer. This guidance recommends those with suspected prostate cancer undertake multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging before biopsy, which ensures only those men most at risk of having cancer undergo an invasive biopsy.Alongside cutting-edge research, we are helping more people get diagnosed earlier for cancer and other conditions by rolling out additional tests, checks and scans at 160 locations across England through our Community Diagnostics Centres programme.

NHS England: LGBT+ People

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total cost to NHS England was for (a) events, (b) activities, (c) merchandise and (d) other expenditure relating to Pride Month 2023.

Andrew Stephenson: The total cost for NHS England was £6,812.80 for Pride Month 2023. Other activities arranged were at no cost to the organisation. NHS England attended events in both Leeds and London.This is the only record of expenditure held specifically for Pride Month. This was approved expenditure from Health Education England, pre-transfer to NHS England, but the costs were incurred in 2023/24.

PA Consulting Group: Contracts

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the contract awarded by her Department to PA Consulting Services Limited on 8 January 2024 under procurement reference CF-2104, whether the supplier has delivered a pilot build of a replacement Content Management System for the National Institute for Health and Care Research websites.

Andrew Stephenson: PA Consulting have undertaken the foundational work required to replace the Content Management System for the National Institute for Health and Care Research. The work is continuing within the existing contract and will be finalised as part of a new contract, which will be established when the current contract concludes. The new contract will be established pursuant to the Department’s C249854 Digital Strategy Services invitation to tender.

NHS: Databases

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the contract awarded by her Department to KPMG LLP on 14 March 2023 under procurement reference CF-2270, whether the initial trust pipeline and Statement of Work delivery units have been identified for the implementation of the Federated Data Platform.

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the contract awarded by her Department to KPMG LLP on 14 March 2023 under procurement reference CF-2270, whether a programme team has been established by the supplier for the contracted work.

Andrew Stephenson: NHS England ran a framework competition for technical support and implementation services, to support in delivering transformational changes across NHS England, integrated care boards, and NHS trusts in England. This included building capability for the Federated Data Platform (FDP), and enhancing wider data services functions, platforms, and integrating services. This contract was awarded to KPMG LLP.The FDP Programme Team includes resources provided via this contract, in addition to substantive NHS England employees. NHS England has confirmed that a statement of work, along with an initial trust pipeline, have been identified. The team is continuing to engage with organisations that have piloted FDP products, and organisations in the pipeline, to firm up the rollout

Cannabis: Mental Health

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of cannabis usage on mental health.

Andrea Leadsom: The Government has published a 10-year drug strategy, and is investing an extra £532 million between 2022/23 to 2024/25 to improve drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services, including for cannabis users. No recent assessment has been made by the Department of the potential impact specifically of cannabis usage on mental health. However, the Department and NHS England are developing a joint action plan aimed at improving the provision of care for people with co-occurring mental health and drug or alcohol-related conditions. This programme of work will improve access to mental health services for people with drug and alcohol misuse conditions, as well as improve the links between mental health and substance misuse services.

Dental Services: Warrington South

Andy Carter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many additional NHS dental appointments have been made available for patients as a result of the Dental Recovery Plan in Warrington South constituency.

Andrea Leadsom: Our Dentistry Recovery Plan, backed by £200 million, will make dental services faster, simpler, and fairer for National Health Service dental patients. It will fund approximately 2.5 million additional appointments, or more than 1.5 million additional courses of dental treatment. A New Patient Premium is supporting dentists to take on new patients and since the end of January, nearly 500 more practices have said they are open to new patients.We are committed to evaluating the impacts of the measures included in our plan, and we will publish monthly data on progress once available. Dentists have two months from the date of completion of a course of NHS treatment to submit an FP17 claim for payment.

Dental Services: Finance

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the policy paper entitled Faster, simpler and fairer: our plan to recover and reform NHS dentistry, published on 7 February 2024, whether funding for that plan will come from integrated care boards' underspend of their dentistry budget; and whether her Department plans to provide additional funding to help meet the objectives of that plan.

Andrea Leadsom: The Dentistry Recovery Plan, published on 7 February 2024, is backed by £200 million. This is from the £3.8bn primary, community and secondary dentistry budget allocated to Integrated Care Boards for 2024/25. We know that the dental sector has a history of under-performance against commissioned activity and the plan will help to drive new activity that otherwise wouldn’t happen. We are committed to protecting NHS dentistry funding for dentistry, and will strengthen this ringfence for 2024/25, as set out in Our Dentistry Recovery Plan. NHS England has issued planning guidance to integrated care boards, which confirms that a ringfence will apply to NHS dentistry budgets in 2024 to 2025, and that NHS England reserves the right to direct that any unused resources are used to improve dental access through the implementation of the dental recovery plan. In addition, any unspent allocation may be returned to NHS England.

Breastfeeding

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to increase breastfeeding rates.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department takes steps to support breastfeeding (a) support groups and (b) charities in Hornsey and Wood Green constituency.

Andrea Leadsom: The Government’s vision, set out in The Best Start for Life: A Vision for the 1,001 Critical Days, is that every parent and carer has access to high quality infant feeding services in their local area.Through the Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme, we are investing £50 million into infant feeding services. This is enabling participating local authorities, including Haringey, to design and deliver a blended offer to ensure all mothers can meet their breastfeeding goals. The investment is being used to increase the range of advice and support available, including peer support. Local authorities are working with the voluntary sector to deliver services.We are also using programme investment to increase the capacity of the National Breastfeeding Helpline, managed by the Breastfeeding Network. In March 2024, we launched a trial of extended helpline opening hours, so that support and advice is available at any time of the day or night, every day of the year.

Silicosis: Registration

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will introduce a national register of people with silicosis.

Maria Caulfield: There are no plans to introduce a national register of people with silicosis. Data on the diagnosis of, and deaths due to, silicosis is collected by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Office for National Statistics. The HSE’s report, Silicosis and Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis Statistics in Great Britain, contains the latest data of the estimated number of new cases and deaths.

Skin Diseases: Mental Health

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to support patients with inflammatory skin conditions to manage the impact of their condition on their mental health.

Maria Caulfield: The Government is committed to supporting everyone’s mental health and wellbeing, and ensuring that the right support is in place, including for those with long term physical health conditions such as inflammatory skin conditions. This is why, between 2018/19 and 2023/24, National Health Service spending on mental health has increased by £4.7 billion, as part of the NHS Long Term Plan.The NHS continues to develop the NHS Talking Therapies Long Term Conditions services to ensure that people with a long-term physical health condition, such as an inflammatory skin condition, have access to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended psychological therapies.

Advertising: Children and Young People

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of advertising on the mental health of children and young people.

Maria Caulfield: The Department does not have plans to make such an assessment.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Sir Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the provision of covid-19 booster vaccinations to community pharmacies.

Maria Caulfield: Community pharmacies have been taking part in the COVID-19 vaccination programme since January 2021. NHS England has recently changed the model for procuring COVID-19 vaccination services to an opt-in model. All community pharmacies who applied, and met the minimum requirements, received a contract to deliver COVID-19 vaccinations. This enabled more pharmacies to support the autumn 2023/24 booster campaign, administering COVID-19 vaccinations alongside flu vaccinations, which are also increasingly being administered in these settings.

Operating Theatres: Fires

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department plans to update the National Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures in relation to the potential risk surgical of fires.

Maria Caulfield: In January 2023, following a consultation, the Centre for Perioperative Care published revised National Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures (NatSSIPs2). These national standards specifically cover all invasive procedures, and include a requirement for local fire safety policies to minimise the risk of surgical fires and to contain a management plan in the event of one occurring. NHS England and the Department are not responsible for the NatSSIPs2 guidance, or further updates.

Accident and Emergency Departments and Ambulance Services: Yorkshire and the Humber

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce waiting times in ambulance and emergency departments in Yorkshire.

Helen Whately: Our Delivery plan for recovering urgent and emergency care services sets out the range of measures being taken to reduce ambulance and emergency department waiting times, including in Yorkshire.Backed by £1 billion of dedicated funding, we delivered 5,000 additional core hospital beds in 2023/24 and will maintain this capacity expansion in 2024/25. Ambulance trusts received £200 million of additional funding in 2023/24 to increase deployed hours and reduce response times, which will also be maintained this year.Since we published our plan there have been significant improvements in emergency care performance, including in Yorkshire. In 2023/24, average Category 2 ambulance response times in Yorkshire were over nine minutes faster compared to the previous year, a reduction of 23%, and performance against the four-hour standard for accident and emergency care improved in each integrated care board area in Yorkshire.The NHS Planning Guidance, published in March, commits to further improvements in emergency care performance in 2024/25, with more information available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/operational-planning-and-contracting/

Smoking: Health Education

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of patients who smoke have received very brief advice on smoking cessation in NHS hospitals.

Andrea Leadsom: The NHS Long Term Plan includes a commitment that all people admitted to hospital who smoke, will be offered National Health Service-funded tobacco treatment services. However, the requested information on the numbers of patients receiving Very Brief Advice is not captured or reported.

NHS: Software

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the number of repeat prescriptions that have been ordered through the NHS app in each of the last 12 months.

Andrea Leadsom: There are currently over 34.3 million sign-ups on the NHS App, enabling users to access a range of National Health Services, such as booking and managing general practice (GP) and hospital appointments, ordering repeat prescriptions, and viewing their prospective GP health record. The following table shows the number of repeat prescriptions ordered via the NHS App in each of the last 12 months, as well as the mean and total of repeat prescriptions:DateRepeat prescription orders via NHS AppApril 20232,449,182May 20232,709,129June 20232,650,714July 20232,825,324August 20232,885,337September 20232,819,310October 20233,105,964November 20233,197,218December 20233,124,667January 20243,559,170February 20243,349,017March 20243,669,727Mean3,028,730Total36,344,759

Social Services: Employment

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to bring forward a workforce strategy for social care.

Helen Whately: We set out our national strategy for the social care workforce in our People at The Heart of Care white paper in December 2021, and in 2023 we published the associated implementation plan, Next Steps to Putting People at the Heart of Care. We recently announced a series of measures as part of that implementation. This includes the launch of the Care Workforce Pathway, a new national career structure for the adult social care workforce, an investment of over £20 million for apprenticeships, to support the training and supervising of hundreds of new social work and nurse apprentices, and a new digital leadership qualification, to help equip social care leaders and managers with the confidence and capability to drive the use of technology in the delivery of care. We plan to announce further phases of our reforms, particularly related to our reimbursement platform and funding for learning and development, in the summer.

Dementia: Health Services

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department plans to provide (a) guidance and (b) resources to support Integrated Care Systems in developing a designated care pathway for people with young onset dementia.

Helen Whately: NHS England is committed to delivering high quality care and support for every person with dementia at every age, and central to this is the provision of personalised care. The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). NHS England would expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidelines.The Dementia Well Pathway includes diagnosing well, living well, supporting well, and dying well, and highlights that services need to be integrated, commissioned, monitored, and aligned with the NICE’s standards for each component of the pathway. It makes it clear that the needs, wishes, and preferences of each individual should be taken into account in planning and providing their care.Guidance on dementia care in hospital is referenced in The Dementia Care Pathway, and signals that commissioners should continue to actively engage in local system leadership. An improvement agenda should be developed jointly with key partners, including healthcare providers, social care, local government, and the voluntary and independent sectors. Additionally, on 24 January 2024, the Government announced that it will publish a Major Conditions Strategy covering six conditions, including dementia.

Rare Diseases: Drugs

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in relation to the commitment in the Rare Disease Action Plan for England 2024 to review the criteria for determining whether a medicine should be routed to its Highly Specialised Technologies programme.

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence plans to launch a public consultation to take forward the commitment in the 2024 Rare Disease Action Plan for England to review the criteria for its Highly Specialised Technologies programme for very rare diseases.

Andrew Stephenson: Department officials regularly discuss a range of issues with colleagues in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), including in relation to the criteria for routing topics to the highly specialised technologies programme. The aim of any change to the criteria would be to clarify the type of medicine that would be eligible for the programme, in line with the vision set out in the NICE’s published topic selection manual. The NICE will consult publicly on any proposed changes to the criteria.

Dementia: Health Services

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of levels of age-appropriate support offered by Integrated Care Boards for people with young onset dementia.

Helen Whately: NHS England is committed to delivering high quality care and support for every person with dementia at every age, and central to this is the provision of personalised care.The Dementia Well Pathway includes diagnosing well, living well, supporting well, and dying well, and highlights that services need to be integrated, commissioned, monitored, and aligned with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s standards for each component of the pathway. It makes it clear that the needs, wishes, and preferences of each individual, including those with young onset dementia, should be taken into account when planning and providing their care.

Palliative Care

Peter Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients were admitted to hospital for palliative care in each of the last five years.

Helen Whately: The requested data is not available.

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department is taking steps to ensure that plans for Ehlers Danlos Syndrome in the Major Conditions Strategy include (a) musculoskeletal and (b) all other symptoms.

Andrew Stephenson: In the development of the Major Conditions Strategy, we are considering how we improve outcomes for people living with multiple conditions, which is increasingly common in this country. Aligning work across several groups of conditions, including musculoskeletal conditions, for this strategy will allow us to focus on where there are similarities in approach, and ensure care is better centred around the patient, maximising existing resources both within patient pathways and in integrating between pathways.

Community Diagnostic Centres: Osteoporosis

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the number of bone density scans conducted in community diagnostic centres in the last 12 months.

Andrew Stephenson: Data on the number of bone density scans, also known as DEXA scans, conducted in community diagnostic centres, is publicly available in the NHS Diagnostics Waiting Times and Activity (DM01) dataset. This data has been published monthly since March 2023, and is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/monthly-diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/

Health Services: Women

Dame Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of setting a timetable for the full implementation of the Women’s Health Strategy across all integrated care boards.

Maria Caulfield: The Women’s Health Strategy sets out our ambitions for improving the health and wellbeing of women and girls in England. It is a 10-year strategy, as many of the improvements we want to see require structural change. We have committed to updating Parliament annually on the progress of the Women’s Health Strategy. In January 2024, my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care updated Parliament on our priorities for 2024.To support local implementation of the strategy, we have established a Network of Women’s Health Champions, made up of senior leaders from every integrated care system. The network is working together to implement priority commitments in the strategy, including women’s health hubs.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Gaza: Israel

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs has had discussions with the Prime Minister of Israel on the reported finding of mass graves in Gaza.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has had discussions with the UN on the reported finding of mass graves in Gaza.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Reports of the discovery of mass graves in Gaza, including within medical facilities, are deeply concerning. We continue to call on all parties to respect International Humanitarian Law and ensure the protection of civilians.

Israel: Arms Trade

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies on the sale of arms to Israel of reports of mass graves in Gaza.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Reports of the discovery of mass graves in Gaza, including within medical facilities, are deeply concerning. We continue to call on all parties to respect International Humanitarian Law and ensure the protection of civilians.As part of the Government's robust arms export control regime, we regularly review advice on Israel's commitment to International Humanitarian Law, and Ministers act consistently with that advice. Our position on export licences is unchanged. We will keep the position under review.

Manuel Guerrero

Kate Osborne: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has made representations to the Qatari government on allegations of (a) mistreatment and (b) torture made by Manuel Avina Guerrero.

David Rutley: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Haiti: Turks and Caicos Islands

Anna McMorrin: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, pursuant to the Answer of 26 April 2024 to Question 23264 on Haiti: Turks and Caicos Islands, how many additional specialist police officers have been recruited by the Turks and Caicos Islands in 2024.

David Rutley: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Afghanistan: Refugees

John Healey: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2023 to Question 6083 on Afghanistan: Refugees, how many (a) Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and (b) Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme eligible Afghan nationals classed as (i) principals and (ii) dependents are in Pakistan as of 2 May 2024.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: As of 2 May, the number of eligible persons in Pakistan who qualified via Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy were 127 principals and 486 dependents and the number of individuals who qualified via Afghanistan Citizens Resettlement Scheme Pathway 3 were 39 principals and 166 dependents.The government looks forward to bringing all remaining eligible individuals to the UK as soon as practicable. Since Operation Pitting we have welcomed 8,892 Afghans eligible under ARAP, and 2020 Afghans eligible under ACRS, to the UK.

Gaza: Aid Workers

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2024 to Question 22306 on Gaza: Aid Workers, whether the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs maintains his comment of 5 April 2024 that findings of Israel’s review into the killing of aid workers must be published in full and followed up with a wholly independent review to ensure the utmost transparency and accountability.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: As the Foreign Secretary has said, we are carefully reviewing the initial findings of Israel's investigations into the killing of World Central Kitchen aid workers and welcome the suspension of two officers as a first step. Their inquiry so far has highlighted failures in deconfliction processes and the unacceptable conduct of the IDF personnel involved. This must never happen again.

West Bank: Violence

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps his Department is taking to stop settler violence against farmers in the West Bank.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK continues to take a strong stance against settler violence. Extremist settlers, by targeting and attacking Palestinian civilians, are undermining security and stability for both Israelis and Palestinians. The Foreign Secretary has made this clear to his Israeli counterparts, most recently during his visit to the region on 17 April. The Israeli authorities must clamp down on those responsible.On 3 May, the Foreign Secretary announced new sanctions on extremist groups and individuals for inciting and perpetrating settler violence in the West Bank. The measures impose financial restrictions on the entities and individuals, and travel restrictions on the individuals. The UK will not hesitate to take further action if needed, including through further sanctions.

The Gambia: Religious Freedom

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will take steps to help tackle discrimination and persecution faced by Christians in the Gambia; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the level of discrimination and persecution face by Christians on religious freedom in the country.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK Government is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. We do not judge there to be an infringement on the ability for Christians to live and practice in The Gambia at this time. In 2023, the British High Commission in Banjul supported a project funded by the Church of England which promoted religious tolerance by strengthening the linkages between the Gambian Parliamentary Caucus on Freedom of Religion or Belief and key civic organisations including the Christian community.More broadly, the UK remains deeply concerned about the severity and scale of violations and abuses of FoRB in many parts of the world. Where FoRB is under attack, other human rights are often threatened too. The UK continues to recognise the issue of persecution of Christians globally on account of their faith, alongside recognising the persecution of other groups.

Chad and Sudan: Borders

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps his department is taking to help reopen the Adre crossing in Sudan.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We condemn in the strongest terms the decision of the Sudanese Armed Forces to close the crossing point at Adré to humanitarian supplies, which is putting at risk the lives of even more people in Darfur. The UK is doing all we can to press for this further serious restriction on humanitarian access to be urgently lifted. On 27 February, we called for the UN Security Council to convene for a closed consultation in response to this. On 20 March, the Security Council heard a briefing on OCHA's White Note, at which the UK underlined OCHA's warning that obstruction of humanitarian access by the SAF and RSF is resulting in people in Sudan starving. Using starvation as a method of warfare is prohibited by international humanitarian law. In March, I visited the Chad/Sudan border and met with some of the 700,000 refugees who have fled conflict and hunger. I reaffirmed the UK's commitment to the people of Sudan and announced a near doubling of UK ODA to Sudan for this year, increasing to £89 million.

Ukraine: Corruption

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he is taking steps to support anti-corruption bodies in Ukraine prior to post-war reconstruction.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Tackling corruption is a critical part of Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction efforts. The UK's Good Governance Fund Ukraine, a £38 million three-year technical assistance programme, has been supporting anti-corruption, judicial and institutional reforms in Ukraine. This includes the development of the new, comprehensive Digital Reconstruction Management System, which will allow oversight over reconstruction projects and the relaunch of the High Council of Justice and High Qualification Commission of Judges, institutions critical to a judiciary free from unlawful interference. Alongside our US colleagues, we are jointly strengthening the capacity of Ukraine's national and local anti-corruption bodies, working with sub-national administrations that will be at the forefront of reconstruction.

Partnership for Peace: Diplomatic Relations

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he is taking steps to deepen diplomatic cooperation with members of the NATO Partnership for Peace programme.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: We regularly discuss NATO partnerships with Allies. The Partnership for Peace Programme allows partners to build up an individual relationship with NATO. We are working with Allies to explore ways to strengthen cooperation to address global security challenges, such as support to Ukraine, cyber defence, countering hybrid activities and emerging and disruptive technologies.

Black Sea: Shipping

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent discussions he has had with (a) Romania, (b) Moldova, (c) Bulgaria, (d) Ukraine and (e) Türkiye on (i) security and (ii) maritime access in the western Black Sea region.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: A secure Black Sea and freedom of navigation for commercial shipping is essential to regional stability and global food security. The UK has prioritised support for this region, which is why within the past year the Foreign Secretary and his predecessor have visited all the countries mentioned to discuss these very issues. The Minister for Europe discussed regional security at the Moldova-UK Strategic Dialogue on 30 April.The UK is at the forefront of building Ukraine's future maritime security through our joint leadership of the Maritime Capability Coalition alongside Norway. This is significantly uplifting Ukraine's naval capacity and creating a greater balance of power in the Black Sea.

Russia: Religious Freedom

Jim Shannon: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will take steps to help support Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia in the context of the detention and sentencing of several members of that community on charges related to their religious beliefs and activities.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The UK has repeatedly condemned Russia's persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. The UK has raised its deep concerns in multilateral fora on several occasions, including at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), most recently on 2 May 2024, and at the UN Security Council. The UK will continue to call on the Russian Government to uphold its international commitments on the freedom of religion or belief and to end its persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Arctic and North Atlantic Ocean

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, when he last had discussions on the security of the (a) North Atlantic and (b) Arctic with his counterparts in (i) Iceland, (ii) Norway, (iii) the Faroe Islands, (iv) Greenland, (v) Denmark, (vi) Canada and (vii) the US.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: We regularly discuss the security of the North Atlantic and Arctic with Allies and Partners, including through NATO and the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force. The Government's Arctic Policy Framework, Looking North: The UK and the Arctic, complemented by the UK's Defence Contribution in the High North, set out the UK's aspiration for a safe, secure and peaceful region. We will continue to work with Allies and Partners to ensure the long-term security and stability of the region.

Gubad Ibadoghlu

Alex Sobel: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2023 to Question 2390 on Gubad Ibadoghlu, if he will make it his policy to call for the unconditional release of Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Since Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu's arrest in July 2023, the UK has consistently advocated for appropriate medical access and the right to a fair legal process. The UK has consistently called on the Azerbaijani Government to protect the freedoms and human rights of all of its citizens, and we will continue to work to ensure Dr Ibadoghlu's rights are upheld. I raised this issue directly with the Azerbaijan Ambassador on 30 April.

Nagorno-karabakh: Reconstruction

Alex Sobel: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of rebuilding Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan on UK-based businesses.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The UK recognises the importance of economic development across the South Caucasus for the region's peace and stability. However, at present the Government does not encourage or provide assistance to UK-based businesses considering involvement in Nagorno-Karabakh. The UK Government will continue to review this position as the situation in Azerbaijan and the wider region develops.

Armenia: Foreign Relations

Alex Sobel: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what his Department's timescales are for the conclusion of the negotiations for the UK-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The UK values our ongoing cooperation with Armenia towards agreeing a UK-Armenia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The timescale for concluding the agreement is subject to final negotiations and legal processes in both countries.

Ukraine: Development Aid

Alex Sobel: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, how much and what proportion of overseas development assistance for Ukraine has been allocated to helping Ukraine to develop specialist capabilities to prevent (a) modern slavery and (b) human trafficking in the 2024-25 financial year.

Alex Sobel: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will make it his Department's policy to ensure that all Ukrainian organisations in receipt of overseas development assistance train all staff to be able to identify indicators of (a) modern slavery and (b) human trafficking.

Alex Sobel: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Overseas Development Assistance for Ukraine in (a) identifying and (b) safeguarding the most vulnerable people from modern slavery and human trafficking.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Government is committed to eradicating modern slavery and human trafficking. In Ukraine, as well as other countries currently hosting millions of refugees from Ukraine, we are working closely with delivery partners to protect the most vulnerable from the risks of modern slavery. The UK has committed £357 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and the region since the start of the invasion, with a focus on protecting the most vulnerable groups, particularly women and girls. We are providing life-saving assistance, including targeted gender-based violence services, legal support and crisis accommodation to help tackle safeguarding concerns and trafficking risks.

Georgia: Civil Liberties

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has received recent reports on civil and political rights in Georgia; and when he last met (a) his counterpart from and (b) other representatives of the Government in that country.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The British Embassy in Tbilisi reports regularly on developments in Georgia. The UK is committed to supporting a vibrant civil society in Georgia, which is an essential attribute of a healthy democracy. I discussed this and a range of other issues with the Georgian Ambassador on 17 April.

Colombia: Peace Negotiations

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps his Department is taking with the UK Embassy in Colombia to support the peace talks between the Colombian government and the Segunda Marquetalia.

David Rutley: In February the UK jointly led the third UN Security Council (UNSC) visit to Colombia in support of the 2016 peace process. The Council met with President Petro and the Colombian High Commissioner for Peace to discuss the Colombian Government's vision to broaden peace through dialogue with armed groups, including Segunda Marquetalia. Through our role as penholder at the UN Security Council (UNSC), the UK will continue to work closely with international partners in support of the peace process in Colombia and the Colombian Government's efforts to expand the scope of peace in Colombia through dialogue and through comprehensive implementation of the Final Peace Agreement.

Philippines: Territorial Waters

Catherine West: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps his Department is taking to support the Philippines in their enforcement of territorial waters.

Catherine West: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent diplomatic steps he has taken to support freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK takes no sides in the sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea but we oppose actions which raise tensions and increase the risk of miscalculation. The UK's commitment is to international law, the primacy of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and to freedom of navigation and overflight. The UK has continued to condemn unsafe, escalatory and dangerous actions by Chinese vessels against Philippine vessels in the South China Sea via our Ambassador in Manila, and in an FCDO Spokesperson statement. The UK continues to support regional partners through an enhanced programme of maritime capacity building in Southeast Asia which provides training and funding to strengthen regional capacity on maritime law and security.

Tibet: Human Rights

Ruth Jones: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will take steps to help tackle the causes of self-immolation and suicide by Tibetan monks.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK Government consistently raises human rights issues with the Chinese authorities, including in relation to Tibet. I raised human rights during my visit to China in April, and the Foreign Secretary did so in a meeting in February with China's Foreign Minister. We also regularly raise concerns about China's actions in Tibet in multilateral fora, for example, in January at China's Universal Periodic Review, and in March as part of our Item 4 statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Mari Emmanuel

Jim Shannon: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has held recent discussions with his Australian counterpart on the recent stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel during a church service in Wakeley, Australia.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK government condemns the stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, and members of his congregation, during a church service in Australia. The Foreign Secretary has not spoken directly to the Australian Foreign Minister about this attack. However, the UK government is committed to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) globally and collaborates closely with the Australian government on tackling terrorism, including through law enforcement and Home Office channels.

Department for Work and Pensions

Jobcentres: Repairs and Maintenance

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much funding his Department has provided for the renovation of Jobcentre sites in each financial year since 2020.

Jo Churchill: Funding allocations for renovation of the DWP Estate are not disaggregated between back office and Jobcentre sites Therefore, it is not possible to separately identify Jobcentre renovation costs.

Universal Support

Dame Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many meetings a Universal Support scheme participant has with their personal adviser on average (a) prior to employment and (b) when in post; and what proportion of those meetings are (i) online and (ii) in person.

Mims Davies: For the first phase of Universal Support, which includes both Work and Health Programme Pioneer and Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care, Providers and Local Authorities will tailor the level of support to an individual’s needs. Subsequently the DWP does not collect data on the volume and intervention type for meetings conducted with individuals participating in these programmes.

Universal Credit: Social Rented Housing

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with housing associations on the potential impact of the 53 rent week year on residents.

Mims Davies: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ 18812 on the 19th March.

Universal Support

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent progress his Department has made towards the full rollout of the Universal Support programme.

Mims Davies: Universal Support will be delivered through around 50 Local Authority led delivery areas, covering all of England and Wales. We expect areas will go live with Universal Support in a phased way from Autumn 2024. We will shortly publish a Universal Support prospectus, which will provide an overview of the expectations for the programme. We aim to publish the Grant Guidance and associated materials before the summer recess. We will work collaboratively with delivery areas to agree their delivery plans and implementation timetables.

Work Capability Assessment

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of potential costs of planned changes to the Work Capability Assessment on (a) the NHS and (b) mental health services.

Mims Davies: The Department is considering the effect of these changes on the NHS and mental health services; however, currently no assessment has been made. We are continuing to engage with a range of clinical experts and charities specialising in disability and health conditions as well as representatives from national organisations around the Work Capability Assessment changes and associated support.

Disability: Cost of Living

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how his Department calculates the estimated cost of living for disabled people.

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of disabled people who experience one-off extra costs as a result of their disability.

Mims Davies: No such estimates have been made As of April 2024, the rate of inflation has slowed, and the Government has also implemented uprating to benefits to reflect increased costs. We also increased extra costs disability benefits by 10.1 per cent from April 2023 and by 6.7% from April 2024 in line with the Consumer Price Index. For 2023/24 we estimate that nearly 60 per cent of individuals who received an extra costs disability benefit would have received the means-tested benefit Cost of Living Payments, worth up to £900. Over 85 per cent would have received either or both of the means-tested and the £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment. An evaluation of the Cost of Living Payments is underway. This will seek to understand their effectiveness as a means of support for low-income and vulnerable household.

Work Capability Assessment

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the potential impact of planned changes to the Work Capability Assessment on (a) appeal and (b) mandatory reconsideration costs.

Mims Davies: The Department is committed to understanding the impacts of its policies on the justice system, and is carefully considering the impact of any changes on appeals and mandatory reconsiderations.

Work and Health Programme

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Q9 of the oral evidence by Gareth Parry to the Work and Pensions Committee on 17 April 2024, HC 697, whether the Work and Health Programme will end in November 2024.

Mims Davies: The Work and Health Programme is part of a much wider offer to help people with disabilities and long-term health conditions and those in disadvantage groups start, stay and succeed in work. As part of the government’s Back to Work Plan we have launched and plan to deliver a range of other support which will put in place an offer to a broader range of disabled people, for example, Universal Support will support up to 100,000 disabled people, people with health conditions and people with additional barriers to employment per year, once fully rolled out, helping them to find, enter, and remain in work The Work and Health Programme will continue to be delivered until July 2026, further announcements on the programme will be made in due course.

Employment Schemes: Disability

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what national specialist employment support his Department plans to provide for disabled people, in the context of the planned ending of funding for the Work and Health Programme.

Mims Davies: The government’s £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan will support over a million people to break down barriers to finding and staying in work through the use of NHS Talking Therapies, Individual Placement and Support, Restart and Universal Support which aims to support up to 100,000 disabled people, people with health conditions and people with additional barriers to employment per year, once fully rolled out, helping them to find, enter, and remain in work. Any further announcements regarding the Work and Health Programme will be made in due course.

Disability: Finance

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposals in the Health and Disability Green Paper on the finances of people with complex disabilities.

Mims Davies: We are looking at different options to reshape the current welfare system so that we can provide better targeted support to those who need it most. We are considering some of these options through our 12-week consultation which was published on Monday 29 April and will close on Monday 22 July at 11:59pm. Further analysis of these options will consider any potential financial impacts on claimants. There will be no immediate changes to PIP, or to health assessments. All scheduled PIP assessments and payments will proceed as normal, and claimants should continue to engage as usual and provide any necessary information or updates regarding their circumstances. We encourage everyone to respond to the consultation which can be found here, so that we are able to hear from as many disabled people, people with health conditions, their representatives, and local stakeholders as possible on these important issues

Personal Independence Payment: Reform

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has (a) made an assessment of the potential impact of proposed reforms to Personal Independence Payment on the mental wellbeing of people who become ineligible as a result of those changes and (b) had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the adequacy of availability of Government-funded mental health services.

Mims Davies: Modernising Support for Independent Living: The Health and Disability Green Paper looks at different options to reshape the current welfare system so that we can provide better targeted support to those who need it most. We are considering these options through our 12-week consultation which was published on Monday 29 April and will close on Monday 22 July at 11:59pm. Further analysis of these options will consider potential impacts on claimants with different health conditions.There will be no immediate changes to PIP, or to health assessments. All scheduled PIP assessments and payments will proceed as normal, and claimants should continue to engage as usual and provide any necessary information or updates regarding their circumstances.The Government is committed to continuing to expand and transform NHS mental health care so that more people can access the support they need. The NHS forecasts that, between 2018/19 and 2023/24, spending on mental health services has increased by £4.7 billion in cash terms, compared to the target of £3.4 billion set out at the time of the NHS Long Term Plan. Of the key mental health commitments for the first 5-year period of the Plan, over half have been met, are on track to be met, or have exceeded their original target. We encourage everyone to respond to the consultation which can be found here, so that we are able to hear from as many disabled people, people with health conditions, their representatives, and local stakeholders as possible on these important issues.

Universal Support

Kim Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to track the number of disabled people that have secured employment via the Universal Support scheme.

Mims Davies: Universal Support (US) is being delivered in two phases. The expansions to Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) and the Work and Health Programme (WHP Pioneer) are being rolled out for phase one of the service. US phase two is due to start in Autumn 2024 when IPSPC and WHP are due to come to an end. The intention is that the programme will track and report job outcomes digitally, which should provide the number of disabled people that have secured employment via the US programme. WHP Pioneer data will start to be published from May 2024 and we are committed to publishing IPSPC programme data in due course. The interim and final evaluation reports for US phase one covering WHP Pioneer and IPSPC, will also be published

Social Security Benefits: Children

Sir Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claims for (a) Disability Living Allowance and (b) the Personal Independence Payment were made for children in the last 12 months.

Mims Davies: There were 199,000 new claims made in the last 12 months (Apr 2023 to March 2024 inclusive), for DLA Child in Great Britain. This figure includes claims made under normal rules and special rules, rounded to the nearest 1,000. The figure is sourced from unpublished internal data, and therefore have been quality assured to a different standard compared to official data publications by DWP. The latest available data on Personal Independence Payment claims can be found here. The requested data can be found in the ‘PIP Clearances’ dataset by going to ‘Age (bands and single year)’ and selecting the relevant age range. Children are not eligible to claim PIP until they are 16 years old. Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is available for those under 16. Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here. An account is not required to use Stat- Xplore, the ‘Guest Login’ feature gives instant access to the main functions.

Social Security Benefits: Compulsorily Detained Psychiatric Patients

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to remove access to benefits for people sentenced to be held in secure mental health facilities.

Jo Churchill: The DWP Secretary of State has asked officials to look into the rules around benefits entitlements for offenders who are detained in psychiatric hospitals.

Jobcentres: Closures

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Jobcentre sites are temporarily closed.

Paul Maynard: As of 30 April 2024, there are 6 Jobcentres that are temporarily closed.

Women against State Pension Inequality

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many times Ministers in his Department have met with representatives of the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign since 2015.

Paul Maynard: Departmental Ministers met with representatives from the WASPI campaign group on 29 June 2016.In laying the report before Parliament at the end of March, the Ombudsman has brought matters to the attention of this House, and I will provide a further update to the House once I have considered the report's findings.

Treasury

Self-assessment: Maladministration

Luke Pollard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many self assessment forms for the 2023-2024 tax year were sent in error in April 2024.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax self-assessment forms for the 2023-24 financial year were sent in error in April 2024.

Nigel Huddleston: HMRC are aware that some customers who normally file their Self Assessment (SA) tax returns online have received a paper SA. These were sent in error, and customers who were expecting to file online should continue to do so. HMRC have written to everyone affected to apologise for the confusion and to reassure them that they do not need to take any action other than to file their return, which they can still do online, by the 31st January 2025.

Financial Conduct Authority

Christian Wakeford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the workplace culture at the Financial Conduct Authority.

Bim Afolami: The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is operationally independent from Government, meaning it is responsible for internal matters, including its workplace culture.

NatWest: Shares

James Wild: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2023 to Question 5600 on Natwest: Shares, whether his Department has appointed advisers to review the potential merits of a NatWest retail share offer.

Bim Afolami: The government has appointed a number of advisers to support the government’s assessment of options for a retail offer, including firms specialising in market research, financial services, legal advice and marketing.

Central Bank Digital Currencies

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of the fiscal impact of a potential digital pound by way of increased seigniorage revenue.

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of using a potential digital pound for its own disbursements and cash management.

Bim Afolami: No decision has yet been made to issue a digital pound. HM Treasury and the Bank of England continue to explore the feasibility and potential design choices of a digital pound as part of the current design phase. The exploration of a digital pound considers the future of central bank money, meaning that this project supports the Bank of England’s primary objectives on monetary and financial stability.

NatWest: Shares

James Wild: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of including an employee share element as part of the sale of the Government's remaining shares in NatWest.

Bim Afolami: At Spring Budget 2024, the Chancellor set out that, as part of the plan to return NatWest to private ownership, the government intends to deliver a retail offering, subject to supportive market conditions and achieving value for money for taxpayers. The government is currently exploring the most suitable terms, structure, and timing for a potential sale.

Credit Unions

Justin Madders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the reduction in numbers of credit unions.

Bim Afolami: The Government is a strong supporter of credit unions, recognising the vital role they play in local communities throughout the country. Through the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023, the Government allowed credit unions in Great Britain to offer a wider range of products and services, diversifying their income streams and enhancing their role in financial inclusion. According to the latest data from the PRA, credit union membership in Great Britain has increased for the fifth consecutive quarter, reaching a record level of over 1.5 million. Their total assets have also increased to over £2.67 billion. The Government continues to engage with the credit union sector to assess how they can best be supported moving forward.

Gambling: Taxation

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to publish the consultation on proposals to bring remote gambling into a single tax announced in the Autumn Budget 2023.

Gareth Davies: The consultation will be published in due course.

Poverty

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his fiscal policies of the report by Oxfam International entitled Inequality Inc., published on 15 January 2024.

Nigel Huddleston: Distributional analysis published at Spring Budget 2024 shows that the overall level of public spending received and tax paid by households continues to be highly redistributive. The UK has mechanisms for taxing wealth across many different economic activities, including acquisition, holding, transfer and disposal of assets and income derived from assets. The UK also has a progressive income tax system – the top 5% of taxpayers were projected to pay nearly half of all income tax in 2023-24.

Electric Vehicles: Excise Duties

Jack Brereton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reintroducing the expensive car supplement for electric vehicles at a higher threshold in the context of their relative price compared to petrol and diesel vehicles.

Gareth Davies: As with all taxes, the Government keeps the Expensive Car Supplement under review, and any changes will be announced at a future fiscal event.

Tobacco: Smuggling

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking with local authorities to help tackle the illicit tobacco trade.

Gareth Davies: In January 2021 HMRC and National Trading Standards launched Operation CeCe. This joint initiative builds on decades of partnership working with local Trading Standards Officers. This supports them to undertake enforcement activity including the sharing of information and intelligence to target and seize illegal tobacco, disruption of the illicit tobacco market and prevention of fraud in their area. In its first two years of operation more than 28 million cigarettes and nearly 8 tonnes of illicit hand rolling-tobacco were seized. In January this year, HMRC published a new Illicit Tobacco Strategy ‘Stubbing out the problem’. The Strategy sets out how HMRC intends to build on the success of Operation CeCe by increasing the level of funding available to Trading Standards so that it can have an even greater impact in tackling the illicit tobacco trade.

Minimum Wage: Enforcement

Jo Stevens: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many minimum wage investigations HMRC concluded in each financial year since 2019 in Wales.

Nigel Huddleston: The Government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) receives it.HMRC continues to crack down on employers who ignore the law, ensuring that workers receive the wages they are entitled to.Data on the number of closed investigations in Wales is published routinely by financial years. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/627cbe7ed3bf7f0536700ed2/nlw-nmw-enforcement-compliance-statistics.xlsx https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/643566dc89f19f000c3cfb1c/supplementary_data_for_enforcement_and_compliance_report.xlsx

Holiday Accommodation: Taxation

James Wild: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to consult on proposed changes to the Furnished Holiday Lets tax regime.

Nigel Huddleston: Draft legislation will be published in due course and the Government will consult on it in the usual way. The Government keeps all aspects of tax policy under review and any decisions on future changes will be taken by the Chancellor in the context of the wider public finances.

Research: Tax Allowances

Anne McLaughlin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many small and medium sized enterprises were unsuccessful in securing research and development tax relief (a) in 2024 to date and (b) between 1 January and 2 May 2019.

Nigel Huddleston: HMRC publish R&D statistics annually, the latest publication can be found on Gov.uk at Research and Development Tax Credits Statistics: September 2023. Previous statistics are archived and can be found at The National Archives website.

Money Laundering

Dame Margaret Hodge: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the HMRC registration is for the trust or company service provider that provides a company registered address for 115 live UK companies at 19 Brignall Moor Crescent, Darlington, United Kingdom DL1 4SQ.

Dame Margaret Hodge: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the HMRC registration is for the trust or company service provider that provides a company registered address for 113 live UK companies at 1 Wembley Avenue, Blackpool, United Kingdom FY3 7DU.

Dame Margaret Hodge: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the HMRC registration is for the trust or company service provider that provides a company registered address for 113 live UK companies at 1 Wembley Avenue, Blackpool, United Kingdom FY3 7DU.

Dame Margaret Hodge: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the HMRC registration is for the trust or company service provider that provides a company registered address for 97 live UK companies at 8 Gertrude Street, Grimsby, United Kingdom DN32 0JN.

Dame Margaret Hodge: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the HMRC registration is for the trust or company service provider that provides a company registered address for 95 companies at Flat 5, 6 Ladock Green, Dorchester, DT1 3AU.

Nigel Huddleston: HMRC’s register of Trust or Company Service Providers (TCSPs) does not show any TCSPs with any of those registered office addresses; and none of the TCSPs supervised by HMRC lists the addresses as business premises. HMRC supervises only those TCSPs which are not supervised by a professional body supervisor or the Financial Conduct Authority.

Department for Education

Electrical Goods: Repairs and Maintenance

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to increase access to electrical appliance repair and reuse skills training.

Luke Hall: This government is committed to delivering a world-leading skills system which is employer-focused, high-quality, and fit for the future.The government is investing £3.8 billion more in further education and skills over this Parliament to ensure people can access high-quality training and education that addresses skills gaps and boosts productivity. The department are working with industry to shape our training offers, creating more routes into skilled employment in key sectors, including green jobs.The department’s high-quality employer-designed apprenticeships, including the Level 3 Digital Device Repair Technician standard, also continue to support employers and apprentices to develop the skills needed in the green economy.Employer-led standards have shaped the design of T Levels, which are new level 3 qualifications for 16 to 19 year olds that reflect modern industrial practice and include a 45 day industry placement. Engineering and Manufacturing T Levels in Maintenance, Installation and Repair were introduced in 2022, where students can choose to specialise in electrical and electronics.The department’s reforms are strengthening higher and further education to help more people get good jobs and upskill and retrain throughout their lives and to improve national productivity.The department is delivering reforms to increase uptake of high-quality higher technical education. Central to these reforms is the introduction of Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs).HTQs are new or existing Level 4 and 5 qualifications (such as Higher National Diploma’s, Foundation Degrees and Diploma HE) that have been approved by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education to indicate their alignment to employer-led occupational standards. These qualifications have been developed by awarding bodies in collaboration with employers and businesses so that students get the specific training, knowledge and skills required for their chosen career.To date, 172 qualifications have been approved as HTQs across Digital, Construction and the Built Environment, Health & Science, Business and Administration, Education and Early Years, Engineering & Manufacturing and Legal, Finance and Accounting occupational routes, for first teach beginning between September 2022 and September 2024.There are HTQs approved in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related subjects, including Engineering and Manufacturing and Construction and the Built Environment that will help provide the skills needed for industries.The department is investing up to £115 million of funding to help support the growth in higher technical provision across the country.

Special Educational Needs: Leeds City Council

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help Leeds City Council increase its capacity to undertake its education, health and care plan assessments.

David Johnston: Where local authorities are failing to deliver consistent outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including failing to produce timely Education, Health and Care (EHC) assessments, the department works with them using a range of improvement programmes and SEND specialist advisors to address weaknesses. Leeds City Council is receiving support from a specialist SEND advisor and the department will continue to work with the local authority in order to monitor the issuing of completed plans. High needs funding is increasing to over £10.5 billion this financial year, 2024/25, which is an increase of over 60% from the 2019/20 allocations. Of this, through their 2024/25 dedicated schools grant, Leeds City Council is due to receive a high needs funding allocation of £134.6 million in 2024/25. This is a cumulative increase of 36% per head over the three years from 2021/22. This funding will continue to help with the costs of supporting children and young people with SEND, including those with EHC plans. The department’s ‘SEND and alternative provision Improvement Plan’ recognised the need to reduce delays in children and young people receiving timely assessments and support and has a clear focus on early intervention. Through the Change Programme, in which Leeds City Council is a supporting partner, the department is testing a range of reforms to improve the EHC plan process, including standardised templates and guidance, the use of multi-agency panels to improve decision-making, digital reforms and strengthened mediation arrangements. The department is further investing over £21 million to train 400 educational psychologists from September 2024. This is in addition to the £10 million currently being invested in the training of over 200 educational psychologists who began their training last September. Since 2020, the department has increased the number of course places funded, from 160 to over 200 per year. As these cohorts begin to graduate, they will enter the workforce, supporting local authority educational psychology services and contributing to statutory assessments.

Education: Standards

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the requirement for Academy schools to provide parents with an annual report of their child's progress.

Damian Hinds: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The department has not made any recent assessment of this requirement. The requirements on academies in relation to reporting on pupils’ progress to parents are set out in paragraph 24 of Schedule 1 to The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010. These regulations can be accessed here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/1997/contents/made.

Department for Education: LGBT+ People

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the cost to her Department was of (a) events, (b) activities, (c) merchandise and (d) other associated costs relating to Pride Month 2023.

Damian Hinds: No costs were incurred by the department connected to any events, activities, merchandise or other associated costs in relation to Pride Month 2023.

Teachers: Pay

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason non-specialist teachers who teach core subjects eligible for levelling up premium payments are excluded from the scheme; and what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of this exclusion on the morale of those teachers.

Damian Hinds: The Levelling Up Premium (LUP) is designed to incentivise the recruitment and retention of specialist teachers in chemistry, computing, mathematics, and physics. It is too early to evaluate its overall impact, but it is informed by previous pilots. An evaluation of Early Career Payments found they reduced the likelihood of teachers leaving by 37% for the £5,000 payments, and 58% for the £7,500 payments.The eligibility criteria for the LUP defines a subject specialist as a teacher who either holds a degree in the eligible subject or has completed an initial teacher training (ITT) course specialising in the eligible subject. Most hours of teaching in the eligible subjects are taught by a teacher with a relevant post A level qualification.The quality of teaching is the single most important in-school factor for improving pupil outcomes. Although the department recognises that some teachers are not subject specialists, it is vital that we retain subject specialists in the LUP-eligible subjects in the early years of their career.Last year the department accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) recommendations for the 2023/24 pay award for teachers and leaders. This means that teachers and leaders in maintained schools received a pay award of 6.5%, which is the highest pay award for teachers in over thirty years. The 2023/24 award also delivered the manifesto commitment of a minimum £30,000 starting salary for school teachers in all regions of the country.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Help to Buy Scheme: Divorced People

Andy Carter: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will take steps to help ensure that help to buy homeowners are advised accurately by Homes England on retaining their exiting mortgage when they are going through divorce and have the means to pay.

Lee Rowley: It is not the role of Homes England to offer financial advice to Help to Buy: Equity Loan customers. Customers are advised to consider seeking independent advice before making any financial decisions. I have asked Departmental officials to reach out to my Hon Friend to discuss this further.

Service Charges: Oxfordshire

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment on the potential impact of increased service charges on (a) leaseholders and (b) local authorities in Oxfordshire.

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will take steps to ensure low income households can appeal increased service charges.

Lee Rowley: Service charges should be transparent, reasonable and there should be a clear route to challenge or redress if things go wrong and the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill will help make this reality.The Government has set out its position on leasehold reform as part of progress on the Leasehold and Freehold reform Bill. Full details of the measures can be found here: Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament.

Local Government: Bribery

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what guidance his Department issues to the police on their role in investigating allegations of bribery in local council operations; and what support his Department provides to local forces handling such cases.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what guidelines his Department issues to (a) local authorities and (b) police forces for handling allegations of bribery and corruption in council operations.

Simon Hoare: This Government is committed to ensuring the good record of transparency, probity, scrutiny, and accountability is maintained across councils in this country.Section 31 of the Localism Act 2011 requires that a councillor must not participate in a discussion or vote on a matter where they have a disclosable pecuniary interest in any matter to be considered at a meeting. Section 30(3) of the Localism Act 2011 further provides that any relevant pecuniary interests of a councillor’s spouse or partner are considered as a disclosable pecuniary interest of the councillor. Government has published guidance on disclosable pecuniary interests available.It is a criminal offence to fail to declare pecuniary interests, which acts as a strong deterrent against corruption.Every principal council has a Monitoring Officer, whose statutory role is to report on matters that they believe are, or likely to be, illegal or amount to maladministration.

Housing: Mould

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of mould in the (a) owner-occupied, (b) private rented and (c) social rented sector.

Jacob Young: As set out in my answer to Question UIN 24168 on 3 May 2024, the English Housing Survey sets out levels of damp and mould in all tenures of residential accommodation. Details are available online.For more information on the health impacts of damp and mould in homes, please see our consolidated guidance developed with the Department of Health and Social Care. It can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/damp-and-mould-understanding-and-addressing-the-health-risks-for-rented-housing-providers.Following the tragic death of the two-year-old Awaab Ishak, due to the appalling housing conditions that Awaab Ishak and his family had to live in, the Secretary of State summoned the leadership of their landlord, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, to explain why such catastrophic failures had been allowed to happen. The Government has also legislated for ‘Awaab’s law’, introduced via the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023.In his written statement of 9 January 2024 (HCWS174) the Secretary of State launched a consultation on how ‘Awaab’s law’ will operate in practice, including the specific requirements on social landlords. The consultation closed on 5 March 2024 and we are analysing the responses. Once this has been completed, we will bring forward secondary legislation as soon as possible.The department, last year, provided £15 million of funding to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to tackle the worst cases of damp and mould. They have now completed improvements to around 4,000 homes.

Homelessness: Young People

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing a cross-departmental strategy to end youth homelessness.

Felicity Buchan: This Government is committed to tackling all forms of homelessness including youth homelessness.The Government’s ‘Ending Rough Sleeping for Good’ Strategy, published in 2022 and backed by £2.4 billion, recognises young people face particular challenges. The strategy confirmed a £200 million investment in the Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme (SHAP) which will deliver homes for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping, including young people. In addition, £2.5 million of Rough Sleeping Initiative funding for 2022-2025 supports youth services in local areas.The department will continue to work with local authorities and partners in the voluntary and community sector and private sector to tackle youth homelessness.

Local Government: Audit

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 23 November 2023 to Question 1227 on Local Government Finance: Audit, how many new professionals have qualified to audit local authority accounts from the Chartered Institute of Public Accountancy; and how that figure compares with expectations for 2024.

Simon Hoare: The Local Audit Qualification was launched by the Chartered Institute of Public Accountancy. The department does not hold the requested information.

Elections: Proof of Identity

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to amend the list of acceptable photo ID before the next General Election.

Simon Hoare: I refer the Hon Member to https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/supporting-our-veterans-a-consultation. Further policy will be set out in due course.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Carbon Emissions: Impact Assessments

Selaine Saxby: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to Table 16 of the Impact Assessment for the Carbon Budget Order 2021, published on 16 April 2021, if she will publish an annual undiscounted table of the costs and benefits of each option.

Justin Tomlinson: The Impact Assessment compared the costs and benefits of meeting net zero in 2050 for different options for the level of the Sixth Carbon Budget, including the level recommended by the Climate Change Committee which has since been voted into law. Costs and benefits were aggregated over 2020-2050 to reflect uncertainty around the precise annual profile. Given this uncertainty, the table below sets out the undiscounted costs and benefits over 5 yearly increments. Table 1. Costs and benefits breakdown by sixth carbon budget options, Core pathway only Costs and benefits relative to Option 1 (Do Nothing baseline of 2100MtCO2e) (£bn, undiscounted)2021-20252026-20302031-20352036-20402041-20452046-2050Costs  (incl. capital & finance)Option 2, Looser, 1105Mt3488160217277381Option 3, CCC level, 965Mt3791186256309395Option 4, Tighter, 865Mt3894206301328389Benefits (incl. fuel & emissions savings)Option 2, Looser, 1105Mt268182357526739Option 3, CCC level, 965Mt471168401554757Option 4, Tighter, 865Mt1298174387540762

Hydrogen: Finance

Sir Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many submissions to the second hydrogen allocation round her Department received by 19 April 2024; what the total production capacity of the projects in those submissions is; and if she will provide a breakdown of the locations of those projects by region.

Andrew Bowie: Hydrogen Allocation Round 2 aims to award contracts of up to 875MW, subject to affordability and value for money, to help deliver our ambition of up to 1GW of electrolytic hydrogen production projects being in operation or in construction by 2025. The application window closed on 19 April with a significant increase in interest since Hydrogen Allocation Round 1, both in number and total capacity of projects. We intend to announce the number of applications and total production capacity following initial eligibility checks. In Autumn, we then plan to announce the number, location and total capacity of projects shortlisted for the due diligence and negotiations stage.

Energy: Meters

Nickie Aiken: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department is taking to help support people who require entry to a neighbour's property for the purpose of recording their energy meter readings.

Amanda Solloway: Rights of entry are governed by civil law, not energy policy or regulation. Energy suppliers have limited rights of entry to fit, fix and read meters. Whether an individual or energy supplier is able to enter a property which is not the home of the customer is a matter of civil law. Householders can seek advice from organisations such as Citizens Advice.

Boiler Upgrade Scheme

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Government Response to the consultation entitled Proposed amendments to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme Regulations, published on 14 March 2024, how many and what proportion of responses supported the proposal to cease requiring grant applicants to comply with any fabric-related Energy Performance Certificate recommendations.

Amanda Solloway: The Government response to the consultation on proposed amendments to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme regulations sets out the volume and summary of responses to each consultation question. Of the 205 responses to question 2 on whether we should maintain the current requirement for a valid EPC with no outstanding recommendations for loft or cavity wall insulation, 95 respondents said ‘yes’, 14 respondents did not answer and 96 respondents said ‘no’ meaning just over 50% agreed with the removal of the requirement.

Fuel Cells: Fire Prevention

Kim Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has carried out a cost benefit analysis for hydrogen fuel cells using deoxygenated air as a fire extinguisher; and whether sufficient fuel cells could be produced domestically.

Andrew Bowie: Although I am not aware of any work on this in the department, a 2001 study by the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency indicated that deoxygenated air would be a less effective extinguisher than other extinguishing agents, although neither a detailed cost benefit analysis, nor an environmental impact assessment, were performed. The UK has a robust fuel cell manufacturing industry, supported by the Advanced Propulsion Centre which is joint funded by the Government and the automative industry, so would be well positioned to take advantage of developments in fuel cell technology.

Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of using transport and storage companies for the development of provisional cluster expansion plans for Track-2 carbon capture, usage and storage on the timely roll-out of the projects.

Andrew Bowie: The CCUS Track-2 December 2023 Market Update set out government’s proposed Track-2 approach of an ‘anchor’ and ‘buildout’ phase; this embedded learnings from the CCUS Track-1 process. The Track-2 process aims to establish clusters at pace and provide a platform for flexibility and innovation in future phases, as well as to carry out transport and storage sizing. At ‘anchor’ phase, Acorn and Viking will be invited to submit plans for initial capture projects, as well as a provisional expansion plan for the ‘buildout’ phase. The format of the buildout rounds will be announced in due course and may be subject to factors including project pool maturity and progress against our Net Zero and Energy Security objectives.

Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has provided recent guidance to (a) transport and (b) storage companies on the development of provisional cluster expansion plans for track-2 carbon capture, usage and storage.

Andrew Bowie: The CCUS Track-2 December 2023 Market Update set out government’s proposed Track-2 approach of an ‘anchor’ and ‘buildout’ phase and high-level timelines. Government has started initial engagement with the Acorn and Viking Transport and Storage systems. Further guidance on the process, the criteria applicable to any projects in such ‘anchor’ and ‘buildout’ phases and the respective roles of Government and the transport & storage systems will be provided in due course.

Fuels: Distribution

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment she has made of the level of competition in the fuel distribution services industry.

Amanda Solloway: There are multiple companies involved in the distribution of both transport and heating fuels to petrol forecourts and end-user premises. For road fuels, there are at least 11 significant haulage companies distributing fuels to petrol forecourts. The Competition and Markets Authority 2023 market study ‘Supply of road fuel in the United Kingdom’ did not identify issues with competition in the distribution of fuels. For heating oils, there are commercial price comparison sites allowing households to find the best value for money. The industry estimates that most households in mainland Britain will have at least four different distribution companies with depots within 25 miles.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Sewage: Waste Disposal

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending water undertakers' licences under the Environment Act 2021 to require those undertakers to accept septic tank waste (a) where there is market failure in the processing of that waste and (b) in other circumstances.

Robbie Moore: Defra does not have the power to amend water company licence conditions; Ofwat has this power under the Water Industry Act 1991. In the Plan for Water, the Government has committed to review existing regulatory arrangements and explore funding and other support options for improving septic tank activities. We continue to consider options that mitigate the risks arising from private sewage discharges. In January 2023, to ease the pressures on the septic tank waste disposal market in Cornwall, the Environment Agency issued a regulatory position statement to increase waste storage capacity. This means that tanks can temporarily store more sewage (up to 60 cubic metres) until South West Water has capacity to take it.

BSE: Disease Control

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has identified the original source of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the UK.

Sir Mark Spencer: Classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was first diagnosed in the United Kingdom in 1986. Scientific opinion is that classical BSE was caused by feeding feedstuffs to cattle that were contaminated with a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) agent due to the inclusion of meat and bone meal. Scientific research has not identified any other definite vector of transmission and found no other potential causes, such as exposure to organophosphates. There is no evidence that it ‘spreads’ from animal to animal or between holdings. As a result of this scientific opinion, a ban on prohibiting the sale, supply and use of feeding stuff incorporating animal protein for feeding to ruminants was put in place in the UK in 1988. Following further scientific advice, in 1996 the ban was extended to prohibit the feeding of mammalian meat and bone meal, or any feeding stuff containing it, to any farmed animals. From a peak of over 37,000 cases in 1992 in the UK, there have been only 4 cases of the disease confirmed since 2014. This supports the hypothesis that classical BSE is a food-borne disease introduced by the inclusion of animal protein in feed, and that our BSE controls are working. It is still unknown which TSE agent caused the BSE epidemic (e.g. a scrapie agent from sheep or goats or an agent previously unknown in the cattle population that was recycled). Various transmission studies undertaken in GB and other countries failed to reproduce a BSE-like disease with TSE agents isolated from sheep or cattle other than classical BSE.

BSE: Disease Control

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to prepare for another potential outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the UK.

Sir Mark Spencer: The measures to be followed in the event of suspicion of BSE are set out in UK legislation, and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (AHPA) are well prepared to carry out the necessary actions. In the rare event that BSE is suspected, whole farm movement restrictions are applied by APHA who then trace cohorts (animals that shared feed with the affected animal during its first year of life) and any of its offspring born in the last two years. In the event of the suspect case testing positive for BSE, its cohorts and offspring are then humanely culled, samples are taken from the brain stem for testing and the carcases are then destroyed, with the owners of the culled animals receiving compensation. While it not believed that BSE can be transmitted by mother to offspring during pregnancy ('vertical transmission') these animals are culled, along with cohorts, on a precautionary basis. The APHA also carry out a rolling national feed audit which inspects and takes samples at various stages of the animal feed chain. This includes checks for prohibited processed animal proteins in samples of feeding stuffs intended for farmed animals. If feed is non-compliant, APHA inspectors look at the cause of contamination and make a decision based on the risk. Depending on the severity, feed may have to be removed from the market, and cattle exposed to it may be restricted or killed. We remain vigilant to the threat posed by BSE and have a comprehensive surveillance programme in place to monitor the level of BSE over time and check on the continued effectiveness of our BSE controls. More detail on this is set out in Defra’s latest TSEs annual report here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/monitoring-programme-for-tses-annual-report-2021-and-2022.

Darwin Plus: Finance

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 April 2024 to Question 22727 on Darwin Plus: Finance, if he will list the (a) funding and (b) recipient of the funding for each project per territory.

Rebecca Pow: Pursuant to the Answer of 26 April to Question 22727, Darwin Plus projects awarded funding since 2019 for each Territory can be found in the attached table. The table includes grants from all Darwin Plus schemes: Main, Fellowships (recently rebranded as People & Skills), Covid 19 Rapid Response (A time-limited scheme for 2021), and two new schemes introduced in 2023, Local and Strategic. Further information about active and completed Darwin Plus projects can be found on the Darwin Plus website, which will soon be updated to include the latest projects awarded in 2024.PQ 24033 attachment (xlsx, 69.8KB)

Department for Business and Trade

Exports: Northern Ireland

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to UK Export Finance's Business Plan 2024-29, published on 30 April 2024, what steps she is taking to help companies in Northern Ireland Companies to export globally.

Greg Hands: UK Export Finance (UKEF) offers support to businesses across the whole of Northern Ireland. It has a network of Export Finance Managers who are valuable contacts for businesses with export potential, including those based in Northern Ireland. Contact details are available at: Find an Export Finance Manager - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). UKEF has a proud history of supporting business in Northern Ireland. For instance, in February 2024, UKEF announced it was guaranteeing a $100 million dollar facility to EOS IT Holdings, based in Country Down.

Arms Trade: Israel

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to paragraphs 28 and 29 of the summary grounds of the Secretary of State provided in the High Court case between the King (on the application of Al-Haq) v the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, AC-2023-LON-003634, whether any of the pending 28 arms export licences to Israel identified in the Change in Circumstances review have been approved since January 2024.

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to paragraphs 28 and 29 of the summary grounds of the Secretary of State provided in the High Court case between the King (on the application of Al-Haq) v the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, AC-2023-LON-003634, if she will provide the dates for when each of the arms export licences to Israel identified in the Change in Circumstances review were issued.

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to paragraphs 28 and 29 of the summary grounds of the Secretary of State provided in the High Court case between the King (on the application of Al-Haq) v the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, AC-2023-LON-003634, whether any of the arms export licences identified by the Change in Circumstances Review have been revoked since January 2024.

Greg Hands: The Government is monitoring the situation in Israel and Gaza very closely.The Government can and does respond quickly and flexibly to changing international circumstances. All licences are kept under careful and continual review and are able to be amended, suspended, refused or revoked as circumstances require.HM Government publishes data on export licensing decisions on a quarterly basis in the Official Statistics, including data on outcome, end user destination, overall value, type (e.g. military, other) and a summary of the items covered by these licences. This data is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data.

Conditions of Employment

Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to her Department's Response to the Government consultation on measures to reform post-termination non-compete clauses in contracts of employment, published on 12 May 2023, when she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to introduce a statutory limit of three months on the length of such clauses.

Kevin Hollinrake: Introducing the statutory limit on the length of non-compete clauses of 3 months will require primary legislation. The Government will introduce this legislation when parliamentary time allows.

Trade Unions: Ballots

Bob Seely: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what information her Department holds on how many trade union ballots in each industrial sector there were in each month of 2023.

Bob Seely: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what information her Department holds on the average percentage of trade union members (a) voting in ballots and (b) voting in favour of industrial action in each month of 2023.

Bob Seely: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what information her Department holds on how many industrial ballots did not meet the threshold set by the Trade Union Act 2016 for strike action in each month of 2023.

Bob Seely: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what information her Department holds on the number of industrial ballots submitted by trade unions in each industrial sector in each month of 2024.

Bob Seely: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department holds data on (a) the average proportion of trade union members (i) voting in ballots and (ii) voting in favour of industrial action in each month of 2024; and the number of industrial ballots that did not meet the threshold required for strike action under the Trade Union Act 2016 in the first quarter of 2024.

Kevin Hollinrake: Available data relating to ballots for industrial action held by registered trade unions can be found on gov.uk under the Certification Officer’s official list of trade unions and their annual returns. However, data for the 2023 calendar year will not be available until later this year. Data for 2024 will not be available until the following year.

Small Businesses: Wales

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has made an assessment of the impact of recent economic growth figures on small and medium businesses in (a) Newport West constituency and b) Wales.

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Wales on supporting small businesses in (a) Newport West constituency and (b) Wales.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Secretary of State is regularly assessing the impact of economic growth, working with the Secretary of State for Wales to support SMEs.The Government continues to support businesses, through Help to Grow: Management, Business Support Helpline and GOV.UK.Wales is benefiting from £2.5 billion in levelling up funding to create jobs and grow the economy, and there will be two Investment Zones in Wales worth £160 million each, with one located across Cardiff and Newport.The Government has provided business rates relief in England, whilst the Welsh Government has cut the rates relief, effectively doubling business rates in Wales.

Minimum Wage: Wales

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, in how many cases businesses in Wales were found to be non-compliant with minimum wage legislation in each year since 2019.

Kevin Hollinrake: All businesses – irrespective of their size or business sector – are responsible for paying the correct minimum wage to their staff. The government is clear that anyone entitled to be paid the minimum wage should receive it and takes robust enforcement action against employers who do not pay their staff correctly. HMRC enforces minimum wage regulations on behalf of DBT. Regional data for Wales has been provided in Table 1. Table 1: National Minimum Wage arrears, workers identified, and penalties issued in Wales, 2019/20 to 2021/22. Financial YearRegionArrearsNumber of workersPenalties issued2019/20Wales£325,4194,227412020/21Wales£262,4083,895142021/22Wales£69,76966143

Minimum Wage: Enforcement

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many times her Department has taken enforcement action against businesses for non-compliance with minimum wage legislation in each financial year since 2015.

Kevin Hollinrake: All businesses – irrespective of their size or business sector – are responsible for paying the correct minimum wage to their staff. The government is clear that anyone entitled to be paid the minimum wage should receive it and takes robust enforcement action against employers who do not pay their staff correctly. HMRC enforces minimum wage regulations on behalf of DBT. Table 1: National Minimum Wage arrears, workers identified, and penalties issued from 2015/16 – 2021/22. Statistics for 2022/23 have not been published yet. Financial yearArrearsNumber of workersPenalties issued2015/16£10,281,39658,0808152016/17£10,918,04798,1508212017/18£15,615,609201,7858102018/19£24,447,919221,5811,0082019/20£20,836,609263,3509922020/21£16,758,324155,1965752021/22£16,316,841120,295696

Cabinet Office

Public Sector: Internet

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans his Department has to help ensure that public services are available to (a) individuals and (b) households without internet access.

Alex Burghart: The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone has affordable access to public services, whether online or offline.All new public services therefore must adhere to the Government Service Standards, which require Departments to provide a service that meets the needs of all users, across a range of channels. These channels include phone, paper, and face-to-face as options for both individuals or households that do not have access to the internet, or lack the confidence to use it.Service teams are required to provide evidence that their service meets these standards, as part of which they undertake rigorous user testing for both online and offline services.

Cabinet Office: LGBT+ People

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost to his Department was of (a) events, (b) activities, (c) merchandise and (d) other costs relating to Pride Month 2023.

John Glen: There was no cost related to Pride Month 2023 (June 2023) and no events or activities took place. Merchandise was provided by LGBT+ staff and supporters and not funded from any budget.

Stoll: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on which dates the Minister for Veterans Affairs has met with representatives of the Stoll Foundation to discuss the future of Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions.

John Healey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many (a) emails and (b) phone calls the Office for Veterans Affairs has received from (i) the Stoll Foundation and (ii) veterans housed at Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions since January 2023.

John Healey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many visits the Minister for Veterans Affairs has made to Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions to discuss the future of the site since January 2023.

John Healey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many meetings the Minister for Veterans Affairs had with (a) local councillors and (b) Members of Parliament on the future of the Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions site since January 2023.

Johnny Mercer: The Office for Veterans’ Affairs have and will continue to engage with Stoll regarding the sale of Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions and the support being provided to residents during the transition period.I am committed to ensuring that no veteran is sleeping rough due to a lack of provision, which is why the Government has dedicated nearly £30 million towards the provision of veteran housing.This includes the single referral pathway for homeless veterans, Op FORTITUDE, that received £500,000 of funding, which is part of a broader £8.55 million of funding for specialist help and wrap-around support for veterans in more than 900 supported housing units.This Government remains committed to making the UK the best place in the world to be a veteran.

Home Office

Visas: Palestinians

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is his policy to create a UK visa scheme for Palestinian (a) families displaced in Gaza and (b) orphans from Gaza.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office is not currently considering establishing a separate route for Palestinians to come to the UK. In any humanitarian situation, the UK must consider its response in the round. Palestinians who wish to join family members in the UK must do so via the existing range of routes available.Immediate family members of British citizens, and those settled in the UK, who wish to come and live in the UK and do not have a current UK visa can apply under one of the existing family visa routes. UKVI is working closely with the FCDO in supporting family members of British nationals to exit from Gaza who require a visa, signposting the necessary steps and expediting appointments at the Visa Application Centre.Any application for a UK visa will be assessed against the requirements of the Immigration Rules and our suitability requirements. Consideration will be given to compelling, compassionate and exceptional circumstances raised and may be taken into account where certain requirements are not met.

Asylum: Children

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing time limits on asylum cases for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office takes our duty of care towards children and young people extremely seriously and we prioritise applications from children and young people.The Home Office does not currently have a target time for processing applications for asylum, but is committed to ensuring claims are considered without unnecessary delay. We have already made progress in prioritising claims with acute vulnerability and those in receipt of the greatest level of support, including Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children.Introducing a service standard for asylum claims is a complex consideration which needs to be balanced between the requirements of operational efficiency, the needs of service users and the integrity of asylum control measures, including the implementation of the Illegal Migration Act. A project to review these considerations, along with scope and potential implementation timescales, will be undertaken. Once the project is completed, a final decision will be taken on any potential asylum claim service standards.

Drugs: Crime

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of trends in the number of convictions for class (a) A and (b) B drug possession in the last five years.

Chris Philp: No specific assessment on trends in convictions for drug offences as a result of policy changes has been made, but the Government takes the matter of harmful drugs very seriously. Our approach to them remains clear - we must prevent drug misuse in our communities and support people through treatment and recovery.The police have a range of powers at their disposal to deal with drug-related offences, such as illegal possession, and how police choose to pursue investigations is an operational decision for Chief Constables, but we are clear that we expect them to enforce the law. We expect police to take a zero tolerance approach to drug possession, and this can include sanctions other than prosecution. This includes referrals to treatment, as well as sanctions to make offenders understand the impact of their actions and opportunities for them to change their behaviour. However, we are clear prosecution remains an option to deal with repeat offenders.We keep the classification of drugs under review. Ministers are subject to a statutory obligation to consider advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), an independent scientific advisory body, before making legislation on the classification of drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Legislative changes are accompanied by a robust impact assessment where we set out the potential impacts of such changes.

Asylum: Republic of Ireland

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information his Department holds on the number of asylum seekers that have (a) entered the Republic of Ireland by crossing the land border from Northern Ireland and (b) been returned to the UK from the Republic of Ireland at the request of the Irish Government in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Tom Pursglove: In 2020, we agreed operational arrangements which allow for the return and readmission of asylum seekers where this is agreed by both participants. Ireland has not returned anyone to the UK under these arrangements.The UK does not operate routine immigration controls on journeys from within the Common Travel Area, with no immigration checks being undertaken on the Northern Ireland-Ireland land border. We do not routinely collect data on asylum seekers entering Ireland.

Nitrous Oxide: Misuse

Dr Neil Hudson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the ban on nitrous oxide canisters on levels of illegal nitrous oxide use.

Chris Philp: The government controlled nitrous oxide as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 on 8 November last year.The government is aware of early successes by police forces in arrests and prosecutions as well as confiscating nitrous oxide canisters. It has committed to publish a review of the effect of the control of nitrous oxide under the 1971 Act.The review will be a wide-ranging assessment of the effect of control with publication intended to be within three years of the ban coming into force.

Windrush Compensation Scheme

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people received (a) less than £10,000, (b) £10,000-£20,000, (c) £20,000-£50,000, (d) £50,000-£100,000 and (e) more than £100,000 in each quarter since the Windrush Compensation scheme was launched.

Tom Pursglove: Information on the breakdown of full and final offers and payments made to Windrush Compensation Scheme claimants is published as part of the monthly Windrush Schemes Factsheet. The latest set of data on the schemes, which covers the period to the end of March 2024, is available here: Windrush Compensation Schemes Factsheet.The Windrush Compensation Scheme does not publish compensation award data in the payment or date range requested.

Drugs: Crime

Dr Neil Hudson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle drug-related offences in (a) Cumbria and (b) England.

Chris Philp: Reducing drug-related crime is a key priority of the Government’s 10-year Drugs Strategy. We are making good progress. Since April 2022, we have closed over 2,500 county lines nationally.Through the County Lines Programme, our exporter force taskforces (Metropolitan Police Service, Merseyside, West Midlands and Greater Manchester Police) work in collaboration with importer forces, including Cumbria Police, to tackle the drug supply and exploitation associated with County Lines.Through our County Lines Programme, we also fund the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre (NCLCC), to monitor the intelligence picture and co-ordinate the national law enforcement response. We have also established a dedicated Surge Fund to help forces tackle county lines, from which Cumbria have received investment.Through the Drugs Strategy, we are also investing £532m into high quality drug treatment which reduces crime and reoffending. There are now 24,500 more people in treatment across England, including Cumbria.The Government has asked every area in England to form a Combating Drugs Partnership (CDP) to work together to reduce drug-related harm and crime. Cumbria is covered by the Cumbria CDP, which has a Police Force Area wide footprint. The Senior Responsible Owner is the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) for Cumbria.

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of (a) women and (b) men who have arrived in the UK by small boat in 2024 are receiving accommodation support.

Michael Tomlinson: Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation (including in contingency hotels and other contingency accommodation) is published in table Asy_D11 here: Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Data is published on a quarterly basis.The Home Office does not publish a breakdown of statistics which disaggregates by method of arrival.

Deportation: Rwanda

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women have been detained pending deportation to Rwanda.

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of the people identified by his Department as eligible for deportation to Rwanda are women.

Michael Tomlinson: Individuals who were previously present in a safe third country and entered the UK by a dangerous and unnecessary method are liable to be relocated to Rwanda. As this is an ongoing operational matter it would be inappropriate to provide a running commentary on individual cases or numbers.The Home Office publishes statistics on people in immigration detention in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. The number of people in detention at the end of each quarter are in table Det_D02 of the ‘Detention detailed datasets’, where the data can be broken down to identify the number of women. The latest data relate to as at the end of December 2023. Data as at the end of March 2024 will be published on 23 May 2024.

Deportation: Rwanda

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of individuals identified as eligible for removal to Rwanda are resident in Northern Ireland.

Michael Tomlinson: Individuals who were previously present in a safe third country and entered the UK by a dangerous and unnecessary method are liable to be relocated to Rwanda. The Home Office does not routinely publish this information at a regional level.

Sham Marriage: Prosecutions

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been prosecuted in relation to sham marriages or civil partnerships that have taken place for the purpose of remaining in the UK since 2019.

Michael Tomlinson: Between 14 November 2018 to 1 May 2024, 11 individuals who have entered into sham marriages or civil partnerships, or facilitated those arrangements, have been convicted by Home Office Criminal and Financial Investigation teams.

Asylum: Republic of Ireland

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish the standard operating procedures for (a) processing and (b) transferring asylum seekers between the UK and Ireland.

Tom Pursglove: In 2020, we agreed operational arrangements which allow for the return and readmission of asylum seekers where this is agreed by both participants. This is a non-legally binding arrangement relating to operational procedures, which we do not routinely publish.

Asylum: Electronic Tagging

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum claimants, excluding foreign national offenders, have been subject to electronic monitoring as a condition of immigration bail since 1 January 2024.

Tom Pursglove: The information requested is not available from published statistics.The Home Office does not electronically monitor asylum claimants as a matter of course. However, Schedule 10 of the Immigration Act 2016 provides a discretion for the SSHD or the First Tier Tribunal to impose such a condition which may mean that a small number of individuals who have claimed asylum may be subject to electronic monitoring as a condition of bail. In such instances, an individualised assessment of the claimant’s suitability for electronic monitoring would be undertaken either by the Home Office, the relevant Immigration Judge, or both.

Ministry of Justice

Cohabitation

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to enable cohabiting couples to share financial and property rights.

Mike Freer: The Government considers that its existing work underway on the law of marriage and the Law Commission’s work on financial provision on divorce must conclude before considering any change to the law in respect of the rights of cohabitants. This is because any new legal rights and obligations afforded to cohabitants would necessarily need to be considered against a baseline of rights afforded to married parties or civil partners.

Offenders: Bail

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take steps to ensure that perpetrators of violent crimes who live close to their victims are not bailed to their home address.

Edward Argar: The decision to remand an individual in custody or to grant bail is solely a matter for the independent judiciary acting in accordance with the law. The Ministry of Justice therefore cannot intervene in any decision made by the court. The procedures for considering bail and custodial remand are set out in the Bail Act 1976. The Bail Act 1976 sets out the statutory rules which govern the making of judicial decisions on whether to grant bail or remand in custody. The Act creates the presumption in favour of bail for all defendants involved in criminal proceedings.The courts have the power to impose a broad range of robust bail conditions as part of a bail package. This includes electronically monitored exclusion zones and curfews. Courts will ensure that they have all information concerning the possible imposition of conditions such as suitable accommodation and proximity to victims, before they make a decision on final bail conditions. The rollout of the Bail Information Service, which has received £53 million of funding until 2028, means that dedicated Bail Information Officers will provide courts with bail information reports which contain relevant and factual information to enable the court to reach an informed yet independent decision on whether bail should be granted to a defendant. This will include any recommendations on the suitability of their accommodation or whether alternatives need to be considered.

Offenders: Bail

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance is available to courts on the impact of bailing people to live at their home address.

Edward Argar: The Adult Court Bench Book provides guidance for magistrates who sit in the adult court dealing mainly with defendants aged 18 or over. The Bench Book covers bail and remand and indicates the considerations that must be taken on whether to bail or remand a defendant. If a bail application is made, the magistrates must satisfy themselves that they have been provided with all the relevant information to decide whether to bail or not, including that of accommodation.The rollout of the Bail Information Service, which has received £53 million of funding until 2028, means that dedicated Bail Information Officers will provide courts with bail information reports which contain relevant and factual information to enable the court to reach an informed yet independent decision on whether bail should be granted to a defendant. This will include any recommendations on the suitability of their accommodation or whether alternatives need to be considered.

Prisons: Drugs

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has piloted a harm reduction approach to drug use in prisons.

Edward Argar: The Ministry of Justice works closely with NHS England and the Department for Health and Social Care to ensure that all prisoners who need it have access to high-quality substance misuse treatment.This includes:increasing the number of Incentivised Substance-Free Living Units from 25 in summer 2022 to 80 now. Incentivised Substance-Free Living Units are prison wings providing a dedicated, supportive environment for prisoners who want to live drug-free in prison. They provide additional support to prisoners struggling with addiction to engage with treatment, using regular drug testing alongside incentives to ensure prisoners stay drug free;recruiting up to 50 Drug Strategy Leads in key prisons which will ensure prisons are recovery focused, bringing together health and security-focused activity. This builds on the £100 million already invested from our Security Investment Programme which aims to reduce crime in prisons and the conveyance of illicit substances;rolling out nasal naloxone to prison staff, which is the lifesaving medication to reverse an opiate overdose.

Prisons: Drugs

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of (a) drug use and (b) synthetic drug use in prisons.

Edward Argar: The latest information on random mandatory drug testing in prisons can be found in the HMPPS Annual Digest here: HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2022 to March 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).All prisons have a zero-tolerance approach to drugs, and we are highly aware of the threat synthetic substances present. In response, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) continue to develop capabilities to drug test prisoners who are suspected to have used, or are at risk of using, these dangerous substances. In addition, all prisons have been provided with access to forensic testing of items seized or found within the estate.Our £100 million Security Investment Programme, aimed at reducing crime in prisons, including reducing the conveyance of illicit items such as drugs, was completed in March 2022. This investment delivered 75 additional X-ray body scanners resulting in full coverage across the closed adult male estate. Under this programme, all public sector sites have also been provided with next-generation drug trace detection machines. This technology enables prisons to detect attempts to convey drugs into prisons. The equipment is effective in identifying drugs that have been soaked onto letters, clothing and other items.

County Courts: Judgements

Sir Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he is taking steps to publish claimant data for County Court Judgments.

Mike Freer: The Ministry of Justice recently held a consultation about including claimant names on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines (the Register). We intend to publish a response to that consultation in due course. That response will set out whether the Government intends to bring forward legislation to allow for the publication of claimant names on the Register.

Department for Transport

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the report by the Centre for Economic Business Research entitled The pothole crisis is costing £14.4 billion a year in economic damage in England alone, published on 29 April 2024.

Guy Opperman: The Government agrees that, whilst local road maintenance is the responsibility of individual local authorities, more that needs to be done to improve the condition of roads across the country.That is why we’ve committed £8.3 billion extra from savings as a result of cancelling HS2 Phase 2 to help local councils fill potholes and resurface roads.

Roads: Safety

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance his Department has issued to local highways authorities on the criteria for the implementation of new road safety measures; and what flexibility those authorities have to act in response to multiple fatal incidents.

Guy Opperman: Local authorities have a range of road safety measures available to them and they are best placed to make decisions on implementation.

National Highways: Business Plans

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to require National Highways to publish all the full business cases for road schemes that have been produced since January 2020.

Guy Opperman: Decisions on the format and timing of publication of information for schemes on the strategic road network sits with National Highways. National Highways already publishes a significant volume of detailed information on schemes on their website, through public consultations, information events, and in development consent applications.

Blue Badge Scheme: Children

Sir Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many blue badges were issued due to children having a medical condition in 2023.

Guy Opperman: The Department for Transport does not collect this information. Each local authority is responsible for their own data retention policies and may or may not hold this information.

Electric Bicycles: Helmets

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of amending regulations to require that cycle helmets be worn when hiring an e-bike.

Guy Opperman: The Department looked carefully at the case for making helmet-wearing mandatory for all cyclists in a comprehensive Cycling and Walking Safety Review in 2018. The review is available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/governments-response-to-the-cycling-walking-investment-strategy-safety-review. The review concluded that helmets should continue to be strongly recommended for people who cycle, but that they should remain a matter of personal choice rather than becoming a legal requirement. This is because the benefits of mandating cycle helmets would be likely to be outweighed by putting some people off cycling, thereby reducing the wider health and environmental benefits. The review did not specifically look at the case for mandating helmets only for those who hire e-cycles; but the Department expects the arguments for and against would be similar to the arguments for non-e-bikes.

Driving Licences: Applications

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average processing time was for reissuing a driving licence following medical clearance in the last 12 months; and if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of that average processing time.

Guy Opperman: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to make a licensing decision within 90 working days in 90% of cases where a medical investigation must be investigated before a licence can be issued. In the 2023/24 financial year, the average time to make a licensing decision in such cases was 55 working days. The length of time taken to deal with an application varies depending on the medical condition(s) involved and whether further information is required from medical professionals. The DVLA is often reliant on receiving information from medical professionals before it can take any further action on an application.

Motor Vehicles: Safety Measures

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to require drivers to carry a warning triangle in their cars.

Guy Opperman: There are no plans to put forward legislative proposals to require drivers to carry a warning triangle in their cars.

Motorways: Noise

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help limit noise pollution for people who live near motorways.

Guy Opperman: National Highways are responsible for managing and improving England’s motorways and major A roads, known as the strategic road network. National Highways use a range of measures to reduce the impact of noise on their roads including using low-noise surfacing for road surfaces, installing noise barriers where suitable, and delivering noise insulation packages. National Highways recognise that there are opportunities to implement more measures in the older parts of its network that were built to different standards and have set a target to mitigate noise in 7500 properties during the second road investment period. The Government continues to take action to reduce the levels of excessive noise experienced by communities, delivering noise mitigation in Noise Important Areas near the strategic road network, and has funded leading research into noise cameras to detect and enforce excessively noisy road vehicles.

Motorways: Safety

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the (a) dates, (b) times and (c) locations of incidents when smart-motorway technology lost power.

Guy Opperman: This is an operational matter, for which National Highways is responsible. The latest safety data was published by National Highways in their Third Year Progress Report, which was published in December 2023: https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-work/smart-motorways-evidence-stocktake/

Motorways: Accidents

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many road traffic accidents have occurred as a result of smart motorway technology since 2019.

Guy Opperman: The latest safety data and assessment can be found in National Highways’ Third Year Progress Report, which was published in December 2023: https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-work/smart-motorways-evidence-stocktake/. Overall, the data shows that in terms of serious or fatal casualties, smart motorways are the safest roads on the Strategic Road Network (SRN). National Highways has undertaken contributory factor analysis to help further understand which factors which lead to collisions on the SRN. This analysis can be found in the above report.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Arts: Prizes

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she is taking steps to use (a) the Turner Prize and (b) other high-profile art competitions to enhance the (i) visibility and (ii) understanding of multicultural arts (A) in the UK and (B) internationally.

Julia Lopez: The United Kingdom's arts and culture sector is recognised globally as a world leader. It promotes the UK’s diversity and dynamism, fosters international engagement, and contributes to global cultural exchange and understanding. In 2024, our creative and cultural sectors helped the UK once again to rank second globally in the Brand Directory Soft Power Index.The Turner Prize is, as the Tate website explains, awarded to ‘an artist working primarily in Britain or an artist born in Britain working globally.’ As its winners over the past forty years – including Sir Anish Kapoor (1991), Chris Ofili CBE (1998), Sir Steve McQueen (1999), Susan Philipsz OBE (2010), Lubaina Himid CBE (2017), Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Helen Cammock, Tai Shani and Oscar Murillo (2019), and Veronica Ryan OBE (2022) – show, it has always been an opportunity to reflect and champion the diverse array of artists living and working in the UK. Similarly, the list of artists nominated over the past four decades have helped to give national and international attention to the strength and diversity of art in Britain.

Football Index

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with the Financial Conduct Authority on the potential lessons it has learnt from the collapse of Football Index.

Stuart Andrew: The collapse of BetIndex Ltd, the operators of the novel gambling product Football Index, had a significant impact on former customers, and we recognise the frustration and anger that this has caused. As a result, the Government announced an Independent Review, conducted by Malcom Sheehan KC, which looked at how the company had been regulated and identified lessons learned for various agencies including the Financial Conduct Authority. These recommendations have since been implemented.Following the collapse of Football Index, the then-Minister held several meetings with the Gambling Commission, and officials have worked closely with their counterparts at His Majesty’s Treasury on the role of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in this case.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: LGBT+ People

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the cost to her Department was of (a) events, (b) activities, (c) merchandise and (d) other associated costs relating to Pride Month 2023.

Julia Lopez: No costs were incurred by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport connected to any events, activities, merchandise, or other associated costs in relation to Pride Month 2023.

Remembrance Day

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, who was appointed to represent the Muslim community at the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in each of the last 10 years.

Stuart Andrew: The table below shows the representative of the Muslim community who attended National Services of Remembrance each year for the last ten years.YearNamePosition2023Imam Asim HafizIslamic Religious Advisor to the Armed Forces2022Imam Asim HafizIslamic Religious Advisor to the Armed Forces2021Imam Monawar HussainMuslim Chaplain to the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust2020Imam Asim HafizIslamic Religious Advisor to the Armed Forces2019Imam Asim HafizIslamic Religious Advisor to the Armed Forces2018Imam Qari AsimSenior Imam, Leeds Makkah Masjid & Chair, Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board2017Imam Asim HafizIslamic Religious Advisor to the Armed Forces2016Imam Qari AsimSenior Imam, Leeds Makkah Masjid2015Imam Asim HafizIslamic Religious Advisor to the Armed Forces2014Dr Shuja ShafiSecretary General of the Muslim Council of Great Britain

Wales Office

Crime: Victim Support Schemes

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps he is taking to help support victims of crime in Newport West constituency.

Fay Jones: The protection of victims across England and Wales, including Newport West, is a key priority for the Government. Through the Police Uplift Programme, Gwent Police now has 227 more officers, with a total of 1527 officers serving the people of Gwent. Furthermore, funding for Gwent Police is being increased by up to £13m compared to 2023/24.

Rural Areas: Economic Situation

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on support for the rural economy in Wales.

Fay Jones: I regularly have conversations with Ministerial colleagues on support for the rural economy in Wales. I am delighted the Chancellor announced £5m at Budget for an Agri-food launchpad in North and Mid Wales which will deliver jobs, growth, and boost productivity for our rural communities.

Ministry of Defence

Helles Barracks

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service personnel are based at Helles Barracks as of 29 April 2024.

Dr Andrew Murrison: As at 1 January 2024, there were 850 UK Armed Forces Service personnel stationed at Helles Barracks. Please note the following caveats: The number of UK Armed Forces Service personnel stationed at Helles Barracks can only be provided as at 1 January 2024 in line with Published National Statistics.This figure comprises UK Regular Forces, Gurkhas, Military Provost Guard Service (MPGS), Locally Engaged Personnel (LEP), Volunteer Reserve, Serving Regular Reserve, Sponsored Reserve and Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) of unknown origin. University Officer Cadets are excluded. The figure includes both trained and untrained personnel.The figure is based on Service personnel’s stationed location and not their location of residence – where personnel work is not necessarily where they live. Personnel deployed on operations to an area away from their stationed location are shown against their most recent stationed location.Figures containing Reserve personnel are estimates because the station location data for Reserves has not been fully verified.The figure has been rounded to the nearest 10 to prevent inadvertent disclosure of personal identities. However, numbers ending in “5” have been rounded to the nearest 20 to prevent systematic bias.

Catterick Garrison

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service personnel are based at Marne Barracks.

Dr Andrew Murrison: As at 1 January 2024, there were 1,110 UK Armed Forces Service personnel stationed at Marne Barracks. Please note the following caveats: The number of UK Armed Forces Service Personnel stationed at Marne Barracks can only be provided as at 1 January 2024 in line with Published National Statistics.This figure comprises UK Regular Forces, Gurkhas, Military Provost Guard Service (MPGS), Locally Engaged Personnel (LEP), Volunteer Reserve, Serving Regular Reserve, Sponsored Reserve and Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) of unknown origin. University Officer Cadets are excluded. The figure includes both trained and untrained personnel.The figure is based on Service personnel’s stationed location and not their location of residence – where personnel work is not necessarily where they live. Personnel deployed on operations to an area away from their stationed location are shown against their most recent stationed location.Figures containing Reserve personnel are estimates because the station location data for Reserves has not been fully verified.The figure has been rounded to the nearest 10 to prevent inadvertent disclosure of personal identities. However, numbers ending in “5” have been rounded to the nearest 20 to prevent systematic bias.

Army

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects the Army to have stood up the Army Trials Unit.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, who will be the Commanding Officer of the Army Trials Unit.

Dr Andrew Murrison: It is expected that the Army Trials Unit will be established in September 2024, and fully operational by January 2025. The Commanding Officer, in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, will be appointed in accordance with normal boarding protocols at the Army Personnel Centre in the coming months.

Armed Forces: Housing

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 29 April 2024 to Question 22653 on Armed Forces: Housing, how many service personnel were living in grade (a) one, (b) two, (c) three and (d) below grade four single living accommodation in (i) each region of the UK and (ii) overseas as of 18 April 2024.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 29 April 2024 to Question 22653 on Armed Forces: Housing, how many service personnel were living in grade four service accommodation overseas as of 18 April 2024.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The attached supporting table shows a count of Service personnel who occupied grade one, two, three and below grade four Single Living Accommodation (SLA) in each region of the UK as at 18 April 2024. The table has been broken down by region as recorded on the Joint Personnel Administration System, and does not show the number of Service personnel in grade four SLA. As at 18 April 2024, a total of 563 Service personnel were living in grade four service accommodation overseas.Service Personnel gradings by region and overseas (xlsx, 27.5KB)

Royal Citadel Plymouth

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service personnel are based at the Royal Citadel in Plymouth as of 1 May 2024.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The most recently recorded official statistics for personnel based at Royal Citadel in Plymouth is 1 January 2024. Therefore, I can confirm that as of 1 January 2024 there were 330 UK Service personnel based at Royal Citadel in Plymouth.

Israel: Military Aid

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 5 2023 to Question 3978 on Israel: Military Aid, to which Israeli authorities information from the RAF surveillance flights over Gaza announced on 2 December 2023 has been passed.

Leo Docherty: The unarmed UK surveillance aircraft are employed for the sole purpose of hostage rescue. Information relating to hostage rescue is passed to the Israeli authorities which provide the best chance of locating hostages.

Israel: Military Aid

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the purpose was of each RAF-operated flight to Israel since 7 October 2023.

Leo Docherty: The purpose of the RAF operated flights have included aircraft used to transport Ministers and senior officials conducting diplomatic engagements with Israel.

Gaza: Military Aid

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Royal Air Force surveillance flights have been flown over Gaza since 7 October 2023.

Leo Docherty: We will not comment on detailed intelligence matters.

Gaza: Military Aid

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the (a) International Court of Justice and (b) International Criminal Court has requested that his Department provide it with evidence gathered as part of Royal Air Force surveillance flights over Gaza.

Leo Docherty: No.

Ukraine: Military Aid

Mr Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the funding for Ukraine announced by the Prime Minister on 23 April 2024, what proportion of that funding will be used to replace UK (a) ammunition stocks and (b) vehicles.

Leo Docherty: The £500 million additional funding for Ukraine, announced on 23 April 2024 will be used to rapidly deliver urgently-needed ammunition, air defence, drones and engineering support. The drones will be procured in the UK and the funds will support a scale-up in domestic defence supply chains.

Ministry of Defence: Fraud

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2024 to Question 21551 on Ministry of Defence: Fraud, if he will provide a breakdown of the number of cases for each category for each financial year.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The number and detected values of fraud listed   in the attached table for each financial year represent the categories provided in Question 21551. The total detected fraud values vary slightly from those provided in the letter on 27 February, reference 3427, because the assessed detected value of fraud can change as a case progresses. Since 2010, the information capture requirement has evolved with reporting needs; this is most evident following a review undertaken in 2020.Number and detected values of fraud table (docx, 27.8KB)

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Digital Technology: North West

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle inequalities in access to digital technologies in (a) the North West, (b) Lancashire and (c) Preston; and what estimate she has made of the number of households without internet access in (i) the North West, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) Preston.

Julia Lopez: The Government has been clear that no one should be left behind in the digital age. We will take steps to ensure support for the most urgent priorities. For example, we are investing £5 billion through Project Gigabit to bring gigabit-capable broadband to hard-to-reach communities. According to thinkbroadband.com, only 0.5% of premises in the North-West, 0.6% in Lancashire, and less than 0.1% in Preston are unable to access a decent broadband connection of 10Mbps download, 1Mbps upload. These premises may be able to request an improved connection through the Broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) if their current connection falls below these speeds.

Semiconductors: Infrastructure

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 2 May 2024 to Question 24088 on Semiconductors: Infrastructure, if she will respond to the recommendations of the UK Semiconductor Infrastructure Initiative feasibility study, published in 2023; and if will publish that response.

Saqib Bhatti: The UK has a thriving R&D innovation semiconductor ecosystem and the Government’s National Semiconductor Strategy sets out our ambitious vision for the UK’s sector.The Government has commissioned the UK Semiconductor Infrastructure Initiative feasibility study to increase access for companies to the research infrastructure they need to support commercialisation.The feasibility study was recently completed, and the Government is considering its analysis.

Telemedicine

Sir Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, which stakeholders her Department has had discussions with on the Telecare National Action Plan.

Julia Lopez: The Department has engaged with key stakeholders on the Telecare National Action Plan, including the telecoms sector, telecare sector, the independent telecoms regulator Ofcom, the third sector – including Which?, Citizen's Advice, and Silver Voices - and other Government departments.

Voice over Internet Protocol: Local Government

Sir Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 1 May 2024 to Question 23701 on Voice over Internet Protocol: Local Government, which local authorities her Department has had discussions with; and on what dates those discussions took place.

Julia Lopez: The Department has previously engaged with Local Authorities on this issue via the Local Government Association. This engagement is ongoing and is in addition to frequent meetings with other relevant stakeholders, including industry and the signatories of the Charter.

House of Commons Commission

Parliamentary Estate: Security

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 26 April 2024 to Question 22724 on Parliamentary Estate: Security, if the Commission will publish a breakdown of the (a) 4,132 staff and (b) 4,236 contractors with valid security passes by (i) profession and (ii) Department.

Sir Charles Walker: It is not possible to breakdown passholder data by profession, but we are able to segregate the data by Department at the time of application. The pass issuing system is not an HR system so the data will never accurately reflect payroll due to the frequency of staff moving between Departments.It should be noted that not all staff and contractors who hold passes work on the Parliamentary Estate full time, and that contractors in particular may only hold a pass for a limited time period and/or for limited buildings in accordance with business need.The following data is a snapshot of staff of both Houses and contractors broken down by Department, from 30 April 2024:Commons and Bicameral StaffPass CountChamber and Participation570Parliamentary Digital Service537Security491Customer Experience and Service Delivery416Select Committee Team298Strategic Estates308Research and Information219Parliamentary Maintenance Department159Finance Portfolio and Performance124People and Culture113Office of the Executive73Governance Office38Restoration and Renewal Client Team24Speakers Office23Independent Complaints and Grievance11Grand Total 3404House of LordsPass CountStaff705Contractors89Grand Total794Detailed data for the House of Lords Administration has not been included as it is a separate organisation. Delivery AuthorityPass CountStaff*184Contractors256Grand Total440*Listed in Answer of 26 April 2024 to Question 22724 under category ‘(g) any other category’ All other contractorsSponsorPass CountStrategic Estates2500Parliamentary Maintenance Department710Customer Experience and Service Delivery285Parliamentary Digital Service133Chamber and Participation113Outside Organisations87Security65People and Culture65Research and Information47Select Committee Team14Restoration and Renewal Client Team11Finance Portfolio and Performance8Governance Office7Office of the ExecutiveFewer than five*Independent Complaints and GrievanceFewer than fiveSpeaker’s Office**Fewer than fiveGrand Total4051 * Some numbers have been withheld owing to the low numbers of individuals involved (fewer than five), and disclosing this data may make it possible for individuals to be identified.** The Speaker directly sponsors passes for Members of the Armed Forces doing secondments and UK representatives of overseas territories. These positions are not funded by the House of Commons and total 18 passes.